as long as one hand was on the
keyboard at all times... we'll call it a *discussion*- samezsilli
Women are the most powerful
creatures on the planet!
Always have been. - Manyfeathers
some people have to worry
about peer pressure to do drugs,
some to drink, here at HM we
just pressure you to show digital
pics of your ass.- KyansMummsie
i just read this whole thread to
find out that you bought something
way too disgusting for me to
even fathom.- HopelessPoet
The universe is vibrating all around us. On our planet, sound waves are vibrating through air molecules and singing to our brains’ antennae- our ears. Energy comes from vibration, and humans discovered long ago that energy can be worked with or manipulated. One of the ways that this can be done is through percussion.
One of my favorite percussion instruments is the rattle. Rattles of one kind or another have been used all over the world since early man. Aside from their use as musical instruments, they are widely used as tools in indigenous African cultures, Native American and Asian Shamanism, Wicca, the spiritual practices of the Amazonians, and many more. One of the most popular uses of the rattle is to stir and disperse stagnant negative energy and replace it with positive energy. I’ve used and created many rattles, including turtle shell rattles, sea shell rattles, gourd rattles, and rawhide rattles. In this article, I’ll outline how to put together a simple rawhide rattle.
1. Soak your rawhide to soften it. Deer hide takes about a day to soften, I used elk hide for these rattles so it took about 36 hours.
2. Cut out your pattern. You can make a rattle in any shape that you want. I chose a circle and cut it out in a bulb shape. The base of the bulb is to attach it to your handle.
3. Using a leather punch or nail, punch small holes around the outside of the shape.
4. Using a strong thread (I use sinew), sew the two parts together tightly, leaving the base of the bulb open.
5. Fill your shape with uncooked rice or dry sand, packing tightly, and let dry for 24 hours.
6. Once dry, empty the rice or sand and then resoak the base of the bulb for 12 hours.
7. Fill your rattle with whatever you have chosen to fill it with. You may choose seeds, pebbles, crystals, uncooked rice or beans, beads, bells, or anything you feel will make the desired sound.
8. After filling, secure the base of the bulb around the handle. Sew tightly and let dry overnight.
Some examples of finished rawhide rattles:
Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge. Some of us have ventured out nevertheless, and so far we have not fallen off. It is my faith, my feminist faith, that we will not.
~ Andrea Dworkin
The Empowerment of Tarot
When thinking of Tarot readings, maybe you see visions of gypsies, fortunetellers, or the cryptic “death” card. Tarot cards have been used as divination tools for centuries, evolving into the familiar decks of playing cards known today, but there is a secret that goes far beyond the descriptions of the cards themselves: Tarot is more than a divination method; it is a tool for finding your own personal power.
Learning Tarot cards is an enormous commitment. A Tarot reader can spend years studying the symbolism and meaning of each card and the placement of a card within a spread. The ability to piece together the card and placement meanings and relate them to the querent is another skill that develops as you progress down your Tarot path, and its perhaps the most important aspect of divination.
During the course of reading Tarot, you will begin to see parallels between your different clients and even yourself, relating to the choices we all face and the obstacles that are thrown in our way. Your job is to help steer people around these problems, and offer advice based on what you see on the cards and what you feel in your “gut.” At some point, you will likely face one of the same decisions you have counseled someone else about and you will be able to make a positive, “knowing” choice based on the insight you have gained through reading Tarot cards.
As a Tarot reader, you may be seen as a counselor, life coach, friend, sage or wise elder, even if you feel like a novice. This glamour comes from your increasing ability to tap into the power of your Higher Self. Your Higher Self is your connection between your physical body and the Higher Power that you believe in. It is YOU, the “you” that is able to touch the Divine. It is from this connection that you gain the insight and wisdom to assist people through Tarot. The cards are not the Source of insight, but merely a means of focus. You are the channel of wisdom.
A great test of your connection is to have your querent ask a question before you lay out any cards. Clear your thoughts and concentrate. Note the answer you receive in your Mind’s Eye, and then deal the cards. The answer you first receive will likely be the outcome of the reading. You really don’t even need the cards, because you are connecting with your own divinity, your Higher Power, your Self.
People put faith in your ability to guide them through their trials and tribulations. It’s a huge responsibility at times, but it is also a great lesson for the Reader. It is this trust in your abilities that acts as a catalyst for your own personal power. All of your Tarot knowledge has not come from the book, but from your Divine Self. You are a Tarot reader, not because you had some time to kill, but because you were called to increase your own spiritual connection by helping others, thereby helping yourself.
The most important lesson that Tarot can teach is the value of trusting one’s Self. As a reader, there is a great deal of faith placed in your ability to decipher what the cards are saying. It stands to reason that if the person sitting across from you has such a strong belief in your ability, that perhaps you should have the same faith in yourself. From that small seed of self-reliance an entire new faith can blossom – a faith in YOU.
Readers, read your cards and trust yourself. Trust is the foundation of love, and when you love who you are, you have no limits.
At Solstice, the days are longest, the nights short. The sun reaches its peak and now, imperceptibly at first, but inevitably, the days will shorten. At the height of summer, we begin the journey back to winter’s cold. The Solstice reminds us that all things reach their fulfillment, and then change, but what seems like decline may really be a deepening, a shift into another dimension, from the waking world into dream.
When we work for justice, when we take action and try to change the world, we may experience bright periods of fiery energy and radiant hope. If we’re not careful, explosive phases of energy are followed by burnout. Big changes take time. The Solstice reminds us that we, too, need time to turn inward, to nurture what is under the surface, to dream as well as act.
At sunset on the Solstice Eve, we burn a figure of sticks and flowers. As the flames sear the bright blossoms, we reflect on the poignant fragility of beauty. Old structures must sometimes give way for new things to grow. We let go, and open up new spaces. We send our hopes and prayers into the Dream, to gestate new visions and possibilities.
Chinese and Japanese wisdom states that summer corn is a tonic for the heart, and that it vitalizes and energizes the body. Corn contains stress-relieving B vitamins, as well as Folate. It's also low in calories and fat.
I am lucky enough to live in the heart of "corn country" and have access to an abundance of the prized, peaches and cream variety. As I enjoyed the first of what will be many ears, this evening, I thought I would share one a great recipe from Judith Benn Hurley's Healing Secrets of the Seasons.
Grilled Black Bean Burgers with Corn
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
5 whole scallions, minced
1 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup good quality commercial salsa
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
1 to 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
Heat a medium skillet, on medium-high heat, then add the oil. Toss in the onion and scallions and sauté until they are lightly browned; 4-5 minutes. Stir in the corn and salsa and heat through.
Scoop the corn mixture, rice, beans, and 1 cup of the crumbs into a food processor and blend well. Transfer to a large bowl and check the texture by trying to form a burger. If the mixture doesn't hold, stir in more bread crumbs.
Prepare the grill or preheat the broiler. Divide the mixture into 8 pieces, shaping each into a firm burger. Arrange the burgers on a fine-mesh grill plate or on a pizza pan, and grill or broil 4 inches from the heat source until lightly browned; about 5 minutes on each side.
If the weather is damp: Serve on toasted, whole-wheat buns with mustard and sliced red onion.
If the weather is dry: Serve on a bed of curly red lettuce, topped with extra salsa.
Makes 8 burgers - 165 calories per burger, 1.3 grams fat, 8% of calories from fat
Let’s face it. Life stinks sometimes. Scented products add some much needed “Ahhh” to your day, but how much do you really know about your favorite scent-ual indulgences? As a maker of candles and bath and body goodies, I’ve done my fair share of research into what goes into my products because not only do my customers want the best for their families, but I want the best for mine too.
These days we are pretty conscious of what we put in our bodies but what about what we put on them? Body wash, bubble bath, shampoo, conditioner, body spay, perfume, deodorant, shaving crème, lotion, body butter and the list goes on and on. It would take several chemistry sized textbooks to explain each and every chemical so I’ll just focus on a couple of the most common and least friendly to your health.
Phthalates are plasticizers, meaning they make plastic more flexible. These very common chemicals find their way into everything from toys to bath and body products. They are what dissolves the fragrance into many scented products, yet are almost never on the label because they fall under the category of trade secrets according to the FDA. Animal testing has shown them to be highly carcinogenic. Developing fetuses and infants are particularly receptive to the effects these chemicals have on the reproductive system. Studies have linked phthalates to early puberty in girls and malformed testes in boys. When an independent lab tested common scented products 75% contained phthalates. The only way to know a fragranced product is phthalate free is to know that the fragrance used is phthalate free.
The second common chemical is parabens. They go by many different names on labels including: butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, sodium methylparaben, sodium propylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, benzylparaben, but they are all essentially the same thing, strong chemical preservatives. Parabens kill almost any bacteria or mold that might spoil your favorite product, but what could they be doing to you? Recent research says parabens are readily absorbed through the skin and can mimic the effects of estrogen in the body, which disrupts natural hormones. Worst of all, parabens have been found in biopsy samples of breast tumors. With so many products using these extremely common and widely available preservatives, exposure builds up over time.
What about burning a candle? The vast majority of candles on store shelves are imported. I have yet to see any imported candle with a fair trade label, but the problems with imported candles run much deeper. Almost all are made from paraffin wax, a petroleum product. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you will also want to know that stearic acid, derived from animal fat, is a very common hardening agent in candles. As if that isn’t enough, you could be putting lead into your air by burning an imported candle. In the United States, lead cored wick, or even zinc cored wick that doesn’t conform to standards, cannot legally be sold to a candle maker; however, whole candles can be imported with no such restrictions.
Always have been. 
People put faith in your ability to guide them through their trials and tribulations. It’s a huge responsibility at times, but it is also a great lesson for the Reader. It is this trust in your abilities that acts as a catalyst for your own personal power. All of your Tarot knowledge has not come from the book, but from your Divine Self. You are a Tarot reader, not because you had some time to kill, but because you were called to increase your own spiritual connection by helping others, thereby helping yourself.
